The author of this post, Karma Metzler Fitzgerald, is a regular contributor of Progressive Dairyman and blogger at www.proudtodairy.com. It’s June. I suppose, since I’m involved in the dairy industry, it should be the most fun month of the year. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve been known to throw candy at a parade or two, maybe participate in an ice cream social. Mostly, though, I avoid it. I’ve been avoiding a lot of things lately. Turned off my Facebook for a day this week. That’s a big deal for me.
The problem with the dairy celebrations and Facebook are essentially the same. I love celebrating this industry about which I’m quite passionate. Truly, I do.
What I can’t handle is watching people consume our products and, as they’re licking the ice cream running down their chin, ask why dairymen are trying to poison our product with hormones that are bad for kids. Ugh.
On Facebook the other day, someone posted a story about NMPF’s request to allow the use of aspartame in some milk products. They’d never read the actual request, but they had decided the industry was asking to “put sugar in every jug of milk.” One of her friends called all milk products “poison.”
When I posted a great explanation of the actual request from dairycarrie.com – strangely, no one responded. Facts will do that to a person. I suspect they were typing that Facebook post while sipping a cup of coffee flavored with cream. They probably had butter on their toast, maybe even put cheese on their scrambled eggs.
And yet, these folks have no qualms whatsoever about accusing dairy producers of trying to “poison” their food. They don’t get the connection I guess.
It all gets very discouraging. PD
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